Means for securing circular doors or covers to casings.



N6. 739,328. PATBNTBDSEPTM; 1902.

H. c. LOWRIE. MEANS FOR SECURING CIRCULAR DOORS 0R COVERS T0 GASINGS.

. APPLICATION FILED D150. 2, 1902. H0 MODEL.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

'P ATENTBD SEPT. 22, 1903.

- H. Q LO RIB. MEANS FORSEGURING CIRCULAR noans'oncovms T0 GASINGS.

APPLIOATIdN FILED BR6- 2, 1902. 4

3 BHEETS-SHEET 2.

no monnn.

'PATENTED SEPT. 22, 1903.

' H. c. LOWRIE. MEANS FOR SECURING CIRCULAR nouns 0R oqvsns 0 GASINGSP APPLICATION FILED D120. 2, 1902.

3 SHEETS-SHEET a.

no menu Judah/077: @W

1H: uovsls PETERS 00., PHoTo-umn wAsmNumu. o r.

its-139,529;

UNITED STATES Tatenteoi September 22,

PATENT OFF CE.

HARVEY o. LOWRIE, .O'F'DENVER,-.COLORADO.

MEANS at SECURING-CIRCULAR DOORS s COVERS TocAsmos.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 739,328, dated September 22, 1903. Application filed December 2 1902. Serial No. 133,571. (No model.) v

T0 at whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARVEY O. LQWRIE, a citizen of the United States, residingatDenver, in the county of Arapahoe' and State of Colorado, have invented new anduseful Improvements in Means for Securing Circular provements upon the locking mechanism disclosed in United States Letters Patent No.

693,142, granted to me Februaryll,,1902. In

the aforesaid Letters Patent I show a safe-" door which is locked to its casing by circular tumblers or rings mounted in said casing and adapted to be moved by rotary movements of the door into and out of alinement with each other, so as to be placed in or out of engagement with lugs or projections on the door with which said rings cooperatefor looking it to the said casing. 'In said patent the locking-rings or tumblers are mounted in a threaded bushing which is screwed in the door-casing, said bushing being constructed in two semicircular sections to permit therings to be assembled therein. The rings are held toisin place in the door-casing. This construction aside from the expense involved in manufacturing and assembling the parts necessitates a determination of the unlocking combination of each 'safe after all of the parts have been properly assembled and prevents a ready removal and replacement of the looking mechanism, should such for any reason be necessary or desirable.

The mainobject of my present invention is to so construct the locking mechanism that its several parts may be secured together to form a unitary structure that can be readily applied to or removed from the safe without the use of tools and without liability of disturbing the opening combination to which the lock may be adjusted. This enables the locks to be made in large quantities and the openfing combination of each .to tie-determined apart from the safes to which they are to be applied, and I am also enabled to employ duplicate parts in the construction of each lock, which greatly reduces the cost of its man'ufacturel After a detail description of myinventionthe features deemed'novel willbe specified in the claims hereuntoannexed.

Referring to the dra'wingsfurnished and forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a front view of a safe-door and door-casing embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the door with its casing and locking mechanism shown in section. Fig. 3 is a a front view of the casing with the door removed. Fig. 4 is a rear view of the door; and Figs. 5; 6, and 7 are front, rear, and sectional is circular in outline and fits in a similarlyshaped casing 2, formed in the wall 3 of a safe, lock-box, or other receptacle. Said door is to be rotated in its casing for adjusting the locking mechanism and is therefore provided with a handle or knob 4,'and' around the outer edge it is provided with numbered graduations 5, which, in connection with an index 6 on the door-casing, enables any one knowing the proper combination to so rotate the door as to properly adjust thetumblers or locking-rings, to be hereinafter described. Around the periphery of the door are three. lateral projections or lugs 7 8, and 9, and around the interior of the doorcasing are three lugs or projections 10, 11, and 12, which correspond in length and relative location to the spaces between the lugs 7, 8, and 9 on the periphery ofthe door, and they are ,so .ar-I

ranged that by turning or revolving the door after it is inserted in its casing they will en-; gage the lugs on the door and preventit from 7o views, respectively,ofthelockingmechanism being withdrawn. These several lugs are so located and proportioned as to length as to hold the door in every position of adjustment to which it may be turned except at the one particular adjustment at which the lugs on the door will be opposite the spaces between the lugs in the door-casing. The rear of the door is provided with lateral projections or lugs, which are, engaged by tumblers or looking-rings l3 and 14. There may be any number of these tumblers or rings, but each ring will require separate adjustment in unlocking the door, and the greater the number of locking-rings employed the greater will be the time required for adjusting them to their unlocking position. The rear of the door is provided with lateral projections or lugs 15, 1G, and 17, preferably three in number for each locking-ring. These lugs pass through the rings when the door is inserted in its casing and engage with the locking-rings for preventing a withdrawal of the door after the latter has been turned from its initial position. The opening through the rings should correspond in shape to the contour of the door around the lugs 15, 16, and 17, which must pass therethrough. Much time and study has been given by me to so shaping the opening through the rings and so forming the lugs on the door that the latter will be held by the rings in every position to which the door may be adjusted except at the one point at which the door may be inserted and withdrawn. The opening through the rings has therefore been formed as illustrated in Fig. 5. In said figure a circle has been drawn in dotted lines, which touches the inner edges of the ring at the narrowest portion of the opening, and a second circle, concentric with the first, is drawn to just touch the widest portions of said opening. The space between the two circles indicates the path of the lugs 15, 16, and 17 on the door when the latter is rotated in its casing. Said lugs l5, l6, and 17 are shaped to correspond to the open spaces between the dotted circles in Fig. 5, and all of those portions of the'locking-ringfembraced between said circles cooperate with said lugs for locking the door. The contour of the rear portion of the door around the locking lugs 15, 16, and 17 exactly corresponds to the opening through the lockingrings, the latter,

however, being of suificient size to permit the former to pass freely therethrough.

The locking rings 13 and 14 are mounted in a cylindrical frame or housing 18, which is provided with interior annular grooves 19 and 20, in which said rings are seated. The ring-housing is built up of counterpart rings 21 and 22, each being countersunk on one side around the central opening to form the groove or seat for a locking-ring and being provided on the outer edge with two lateral projections or lugs 23 and 24, as best shown in Fig. 7. The lockingring 14: is placed in the countersunk portion of the housing-ring 21 and is held therein by the ring 22, in which the locking-ring 13 has been similarly placed, the latter being held in position by a sheetmetal ring 25. The rings 21 and 22 and the sheet-metal ring 25 are secured together by rivets 26. This structure, which may be readily secured in the door-casing and removed therefrom, constitutes the locking mechanism. The door casing is provided with lugs 27 and 28, which cooperate with the lugs 23 and 24 on the ring-housing to hold the latter in place in the door-casing, these lugs being so proportioned and arranged that the locking mechanism may be inserted in the door-casing and then turned for bringing the retaining-lugs in proper engaging relations, as will be readily understood. The locking-rings 13 and 14 are capable of rotation in their respective seats, but should be fitted therein as snugly as is consistent with free rotation.

At the rear of the door is a pin 29, which when the door is rotated travels in a path directly above the locking-ring 14 and engages with a pin 30, projecting from said ring, so that the latter maybe moved or rotated by means of the door. Ring 13 is provided with a pin 31, which is engaged by a pin 32 on ring 14, so that said ring 13 may also be rotated in a similar manner. \Vhen the door is to be inserted in the casing, the lockingrings are placed in alinement with each other, as illustrated in Fig. 3. To facilitate this adjustment, there is a notch 33 in ring 14 and a similar notch 34 in ring 13. These notches must be in alinement with each other and opposite the index 6 on the door-casing. Now assuming the unlocking combination of the lock illustrated to be 32-89-0, the door will enter the casing when 0 on the dial is opposite the index on the door-casing. When the door is rotated, the lugs 7, 8, and 9 on its periphery will pass beneath the lugs 10, 11, and 12 in the casing, and continued rotation will cause the rings 13 and 14: to be moved from their adjusted positions and out of alinement with each other, thus preventing the door from being withdrawn or opened. Itis here to be noted that the rings 13 and 14 are located slightly above the path of the 0063pcrating locking-lugs 15, 16, and 17z 6., said lugs are so located that they cannot come in contact with said rings unless the door he turned to the position which will place the lugs 7, 8, and 9 on its periphery opposite the spaces between the lugs 10, 11, and 12 in the door-casing. If the door be then pulled outwardly, the lugs 10, 11, and 12 will be against the locking-rings; but in this position the door will be held against rotation, because the lugs 7, 8, and 9 will be out of alinement with the space beneath the lugs 10, 11, and 12. This arrangement is of importance in that it prevents the positions of the lockingrings from being determined by means of the cooperating lugs. In unlocking the door it must first be rotated so that its pin 29 will be in engagement with pin 30 on ring 14: and.

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recess pin 32 on said ring in engagement withpin 31 on ring 13. If the rotation is then conproper position of adjustment. "Ring-l lj is thefi jadjusted by reversing the directionof rotation of the door, giving'it one complete turn andcontinuing the movement until the next numberin'the combination 89 is on posite the index)" It is then only necessary to reverse the direction of rotation until O is opposite the index to release thedoor from the lugs which hold it at its periphery. Itis then free to be withdrawn from the casing.

In order to prevent a possible rotation of the ring-housing l8 whenlin place in the casing, I provide the underside of said housing with a spring-latch 35, which enters a notch 36 in a flange 37,- surrounding the opening into the safe or other receptacle. When the lock is inserted in the door-casing and turned for securing it therein, as already described, the latch 35 by entering the notch 36 serves to frictionally hold it 'in its proper position; The latch 35 is preferably formed by stamping out a portion of the sheet-metal ring 25, as illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7. The ringhousing may, however, be. secured in the door-casing by a set-screw, if desired. The locking-rings l3 and 14 are exact coun terparts except as regards the pins by which they are rotated. These pins are secured in I holes,which are bored in the rings in the following manner: Beneath a suitable drill is placed aform, into which a ring may be in serted and rotated at'will, so that a hole may be drilled at any pointin the ring at a given distance from its center. paid to the radial location of the holes in any of the rings. A single hole is drilled at random in ring 13, and the pin 31 is riveted therein. Six holes are drilled atrandom in ring 14', in one of which is riveted the pin 32. The other fiveholes are screw-threaded to receive the threaded shank of pin 30, which is shifted from one hole to another to change the combination of the lock. These holes are A,77 SB?! (0,77 (D37 (E-77 When the rings are assembled in the ringhousing, the combinations required for opening the lock in all adjustments of pin 30 is determined in any suitable manner and stamped upon the rear of the housing, as

shown in Fig. 6, 32-89 meaning that when thepin 30 is inserted in hole A the open-' No attention is door-casing, but the recorded combinations" I being on the rearof the lock are hidfrom view and can only be read when the lock is removed. By locating the pin-holes atir'ane dom in the locking-rings the liability of producing two locks with the same opening'combinationsis reduced to a minimum; and as one lock may be readily substituted for another the changes in. the combinations may be infinitely varied at pleasure.

Patent, isv 1. The combination with a circular. door and its casing of lateral lugs or projections on said door, a plurality of circular tumblers. I

adapted to cooperatewith said lugs for locking the door to its casing, means whereby said I tumblers may be adjusted by rotative move-:

ments of said door, and meansfor detachably.

securing said tumblers or rings in said castherefrom, substantiallyas described.

2. The combination of a circular doorprovided with lateral lugs or projections, a door casing, and a locking device consisting of a plurality of circular tumblers or ringsrot-a- 'tively mounted in and secured together by a. cylindrical housing adapted to be inserted in and removed from said door-casing,saidtum-\ .blers being adapted to engage with the lugs on said door, substantially as described. 7

3. The combination of a circular-door cas-i ing provided with one or more inwardly-.pro-

jecting lugs, a circular ,door, having lateral lugs or projections, and a locking device consisting of a plurality of circular tumblers or rings rotatively mounted in a cylindrical housing, said ringsbeing adapted to engage;

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the lugs onsaid door, and the,cylindrical.

housing being adapted to be engagedby the lugs in said door-casing, andmeans whereby said rings may be moved by rotative movements of saiddoor,substantially as described;

4. The combination of a circular door provided with two or more peripheral lugs or pro.-

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jections, a circular-door casing provided with inwardl ro'ectin lu s corres ondin in d a a shape and relative location to the spaces be tween the lugs on said door and adapted tocosaid casing, a pluralityof circular tumblers or rings detachably secured in said casing,

lugs or projections on said door adapted to cooperate with said rings for holding the door. to its casing, and means whereby said rings may be rotated and separatelyadjusted by rotative movements of the door,substantially as described.

5. The combination with a circular door prooperate with said lugs forholding the door in,

vided with two or more peripheral lugs or pro-c jections, a circular-door casing provided-with inwardlypro'jecting lugs corresponding in shape and relative location to the spaces between the lugs on said door and adapted to cooperate with said lugs for holding the door in said casing, one or more circular tumblers or locking-rings rotativelymonnted in said casing, lateral projections on said door which move beneath portions of said ring or rings said lugs being so positioned as to be held away from the rear surfaces of said rings by the lugs on the periphery of the door, and means whereby said rings may be rotated and separately adjusted by rot-ative movements of the door, substantially as described.

6. The combination with a circular-door casing provided with inwardly projecting lugs, of a locking device consisting of a plurality of circular tumblers or rings rotatively mounted in a cylindrical housing, said housing being provided with lateral lugs corresponding in relative location to the spaces between the lugs in said casing and adapted to engage therewith for holding the device in position therein, a circular door provided with lugs or projections adapted to cooperate with said tumblers or rings for locking the door in the casing, and means whereby said tumblers or rings may be rotated and separately adjusted by rotative movements of said door, substantially as described.

7. The combination with a circular-door casing provided with two or more inwardlyprojecting lugs, of a locking device consisting of a plurality of tumblers or locking-rings rotatively mounted in a cylindrical housing, said housing being provided with two or more peripheral projections corresponding in relative location to the spaces between the lugs in said casing and being adapted to engage with said lugs for holding said device in the casing, a circular door provided with lateral projections adapted to cooperate with said tumblers or rings for locking said door, means whereby said rings may be rotated and separately adjusted by rotative movements of the door, and means for holding the ring-housing against rotation, substantially as described.

8. In a locking device for a rotatable circular door or cover, the combination of a plurality of circular tumblers or locking-rings, a cylindrical housing for said rings, said housing being built up of counterpart rings each of which is countersunk around the central opening to form a seat for a locking-ring, and means for securing said housing-rim gs together, substantially as described.

9. In a locking device for a rotatable circular door or cover, the combination of a plurality of circular tumblers or locking-rings, a cylindrical housing for said rings, said housing being built up of counterpart rings, each of which is countersunk around its central opening to form a seat for a tumbler or looking-ring and provided with two or more peripheral projections, and means for securing said housing-rings together, substantially as described.

10. In a locking device for a rotatable circular door or cover, the combination of a plurality of circular tumblers or locking-rings, a cylindrical housing provided with interior annular grooves in which said tumblers are rotatively mounted, a pin on each of said tumblers projecting in the path of the pin on the next adjacent tumbler, a series of holes in the uppermost tumbler each of which is appropriately marked with an identifying character, a pin adapted to be mounted in and shifted from one of said holes to another, and a series of, characters on the device indicating the opening combinations of the lock which will result from the shifting of said pin from one of said holes to another, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

HARVEY O. LOWRIE.

Witnesses:

WALTER C. CHILDS, R. WV. HICKS. 

